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Thursday, 22 October 2015

Panocticon got together over ten years ago. Our first meetings were in the Swan Hotel, in Whalley, Lancashire. This is where we began compiling our first collection of short stories, 'Lancashire Tales, Light and Dark.' You will find that the Swan features in one of its stories, 'Out of Time.'

When evening meetings became difficult we moved from the Swan to the Cloisters cafe in the ancient Whalley Abbey. The Abbey provided inspiration for some of our creepier tales, such as 'Lady in White' and by chance (or was it?) provided a very spooky cover for 'Lancashire Tales, Light and Dark.' We had decided on an atmospheric image of the gatehouse, but when the photo came out an unexplained apparition in the foreground which can now be seen on our cover.

When, at length the Abbey's cafe closed, we moved once more, this time to Benedicts deli, cafe and bar, still in Whalley.

That is our current venue, and we are happy to meet anyone with an interest in creative writing there at 9.30 am any Tuesday. So come along. We'll be delighted to share a coffee and a hour of light conversation with anyone who drops by.

Wednesday, 21 October 2015

Around this time of year we generally take a trip to the English Lake District to watch the leaves turn. Autumn paints the forestscape with magnificent blazes of red, yellow and gold, and even if the spectacle does not quite match the glories of New England in the Fall, it more than rewards the effort of making the journey. A favourite spot of ours is Tarn Hows, where we have enjoyed picnic lunches amid the double vista of the canopy and its image reflected in still water, and where, at ten-years-old, our son was once inspired to describe 'leaves the colour of a dragon's flame.' I have to say that we found this year's display somewhat disappointing. Everything is behindhand this year and the verdancy of summer lingers on with the leaves merely beginning to hint at the visions to come. Perhaps it is churlish to complain that the climate which has treated us so gently this year has afforded the woodlands a longer growing season, though the suspicion persists that all is not well in Mother Nature's world. In a not entirely unconnected matter another loved location in this idyllic quarter of England finds itself at the centre of some controversy. A leaftlet newly circulated by 'Friends of the Earth' bears an image of the picturesque village and lake of Grasmere alongside the injunction: 'Don't let fracking destroy all of this.' It goes on to assert a range of dire environmental consequences arising from hydraulic fracturing and the chemicals involved in its application: contamination of ground water, atmospheric pollution and increased risk of cancer. It was pointed out to the disseminators that the minerals beneath the County of Cumbria are for the most part volcanic in nature and therefore contain little in the way of recoverable fuel. The chances of fracking ever taking place in or near to Grasmere approximate to zero. The defence that '...the picture is illustrative of the sorts of areas which the government is opening up for fracking' might have been a little more convincing were it not for the barrage of sanction about scientific and technical inaccuracies and errors put forth in the pamphlet, followed by several official complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority and the Fundraising Standards Board - official bodies whose functions are self-explanatory. To discredit the leaflet is not to prove the lack of a valid case against fracking. Rather, it underlines the importance of using valid information in our arguments. Further, it reminds us of the ongoing controversy over the pros and cons of fracking: whether the associated environmental damage and continued burning of fossil fuels can be justified, or whether the risks of shortfalls in our energy supplies before greener resources can be brought to market are acceptable. Which body of opinion will prevail remains to be seen, but decisions will need to be taken soon. Perhaps Friends of the Earth would have served their case better with a photograph of Tarn Hows, and a caption: 'Autumn is late this year; It's later than you think.'

We are...

Panocticon meet weekly to chat, discuss the writing of others and to work at producing our own writing. Our reward is in the pleasure our work gives to our readers. With that in mind, now and again we offer a sample of our work. If you enjoy it, or even if you don't, we would love to hear from you; constructive criticism is always welcome. Contact us at: octoscope@gmail.com.